Buildkite

What it is for

Buildkite is a hosted pipeline desk: you open New Pipeline, and Free is $0. Use it when the job is YAML steps you start at $0 (self-hosted agents or hosted minutes), not when you need a $20 chat seat.

What makes it unique: the cover is the official Buildkite New Pipeline form (starter-pipeline-example, Build / Test / Deploy YAML, Create and run) from the docs still — not a pricing card. The form itself is ops of Pipelines. Buildkite bills active users + agents + hosted vCPU minutes, not a chat seat.

Key features

• Pipelines — a YAML graph you create and run (New Pipeline still; docs; pricing). One pipeline. Cover Build / Test / Deploy steps and Create and run are ops of this.
• Self-hosted agents — a worker you run that picks jobs (pricing Self-hosted agents). An agent, not a pipeline. Pro includes 10, then $3.50 / agent / month.
• Linux hosted agents — a Buildkite-hosted Linux shape (pricing Linux Hosted Agents). A minute, not a self-hosted agent. $0.004 / vCPU minute (small 2 vCPU prints $0.008 / minute).
• Mac hosted agents — a hosted M-series shape (pricing Mac Hosted Agents). A Mac minute, not Linux. $0.02 / vCPU minute (M4 Medium prints $0.12 / minute).
• Test Engine — test splits / executions on the compare (pricing executions). A test run, not a pipeline step. Pro includes 1M / month, then $15 / million executions.

Artifact storage ($0.05 / GB-month overage) is the meter. Workflows / MCP helpers are generate-on-Pipelines. The 30-day all-access trial is not a sixth desk.

Who it's for

Best fit: CI teams who will stay on Free at $0 while they create a first pipeline, then buy Pro at $30 / active user / month when they need more than 10 self-hosted agents or hosted minutes.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) from buildkite.com/pricing. Tiles print Free Plan $0 / Pro Plan $30 per active user/month / Enterprise custom. “No credit card required” on the trial CTA.

• Free — $0. Solo / small teams. Up to 250 concurrent jobs and 50 active users on the compare we fetched.
• Pro — $30 / active user / month. 10 self-hosted agents included, then $3.50 / agent / month. Artifact storage 250 GB / month, then $0.05 / GB-month.
• Enterprise — Custom. Do not invent an Enterprise dollar.
• Linux hosted agents — $0.004 / vCPU minute.
• Mac hosted agents — $0.02 / vCPU minute.
• Test Engine — 1M executions included on Pro, then $15 / million.

Confirm checkout; taxes follow your location. All prices USD on the page we fetched.

Limitations / costs

• Free $0 is not unlimited hosted minutes. Hosted Linux is $0.004 / vCPU-min once you leave self-host.
• Pro is per active user. A 20-person org is $600 / month before agents.
• A pipeline desk, not a GitHub-hosted runner swap. For Actions-only minutes see Blacksmith. For Docker builds as a service see Depot.

Alternatives

• Blacksmith — GitHub Actions runners when you want $0.004 / min Ubuntu and no Buildkite YAML desk.
• Depot — container builds + Actions minutes when you want Depot’s $20 / $200 tiles.
• Woodpecker — self-host CI when you want a $0 Apache pipeline log, not Buildkite Pro seats.

Official tutorial

Official Buildkite channel video: Creating New Pipelines with Examples (oEmbed author: Buildkite). First-party pipeline walkthrough; the docs New Pipeline still is the cover.

Written path: buildkite.com/pricing plus the New Pipeline still.

Website

https://buildkite.com

Repository

https://github.com/buildkite

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is the official Buildkite New Pipeline form from the docs still. Dollars checked on buildkite.com/pricing (Free $0; Pro $30/active user/mo; extra agent $3.50; Linux hosted $0.004/vCPU-min; Mac $0.02/vCPU-min). Tutorial oEmbed author: Buildkite.

Last verified

2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.